Striving Through The Narrow Door
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Embracing the preeminence of Christ and striving heart, soul and body for Him.
Text: Luke 13:22-24
Date: 03/03/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 140
Description:
After two powerful parables of how the Kingdom of God will grow, both externally and internally, Luke takes us from the one (the woman Jesus healed), to the many (the exponential growth of the Kingdom), to the few (those who will actually be saved). When a man asks Jesus if those who will be saved are few, it raises a multitude of soteriological questions that must be answered first. Questions like "What is salvation?" and "Saved from what?" and "Who is actually saved?". But as is so often the case, Jesus does not directly answer the question but addresses the core issue, which is: "Are you saved?"! So important is the answer Jesus gives in our text that we will study virtually every word in His two sentence answer to fully understand His profound meaning. Ultimately we will realize that everyone who desires to enter God's Kingdom, must avoid the pitfalls of "cheap grace", embrace the preeminence of Christ, and deeply consider the importance of "striving through the Narrow Door"!
View:
Options:
I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 13:22-24.
A. Context
B. The narrow gate.
1. On the journey to Jerusalem, vs. 22, Luke 9:51, Ex. 34:7.
2. The question of soteriology, vs. 23.
a. Identifying the "asker", Luke 11:39, 12:13,22,54.
b. The question.
i. Noticing the address, Luke 12:41.
ii. The ultimate question, Luke 18:18.
iii. Three soteriological questions.
1) What is salvation?
a) To the non-Theist.
b) To the religions of man.
c) To the Christian, Rom. 2:4-5, 10:9-10, John 3:36.
2) Who is saved?
a) To the non-Theist.
b) To the religions of man.
c) To the Christian, Luke 9:23, 1John 3:7-9.
3) Saved from what (or Whom!)? Rev. 21:8, John 3:36.
c. The assumption.
3. Strive for the narrow door, vs. 23b, 24, Luke 13:3.
a. The luxury of a word study.
i. The word "strive".
ii. The word "enter", Num. 15:2, Psa. 24:9, Matt. 18:3.
iii. The word "narrow".
iv. The word "door", John 10:7-9.
v. The phrase, "For many, I tell you".
vi. The word "seek".
1) Determining the intensity of "seeking", Luke 12:31, 13:6,25, 19:10.
2) Seeking too late, Luke 11:9-10, 12:58-59, Isa. 55:6.
b. Putting the words together.
III. Application, Luke 9:23, Phil. 2:12, John 14:6.
IV. Conclusion
